WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team aims to continue its run at the top of the Presidents' Athletic Conference when the regular season opens with non-conference play Sunday.

The Presidents are set to open their season versus Mount Union at Ross Memorial Park on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Conference play begins March 26 as W&J hosts the Saint Vincent Bearcats for a rematch of last year's conference title game.

2021 Season Review: W&J put together a 37-3 overall record, claimed its 13th PAC title and reached the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in 2021. The last seven conference titles for W&J have come in odd years.

The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team posted a school record 22-game season to open the 2022 campaign. Head coach Jeff Mountain earned career win No. 500 after a four-game sweep of Bethany to open the season.

Strong starting pitching continued to be the story for the Presidents. The W&J pitching staff surrendered just one run and nine hits over the 27 innings during their undefeated three game run in the PAC Tournament. 

The Presidents secured an NCAA Pool A bid after sweeping their way through the PAC Tournament. W&J beat Saint Vincent (7-1) and Grove City (1-0) respectively to advance to the championship round. The Presidents clinched the title with a 3-0 victory over Saint Vincent. 

"Our goals are the same as they always are," said head coach Jeff Mountain. "To get better as the year advances, win the regular season PAC championship, win the conference tournament and to play deep into the postseason.  We always hope and train to be playing our best at the end of the year, where we are comfortable playing in pressure situations."
 
The Presidents entered the 2021 NCAA Tournament with a 36-1 overall record. W&J posted a 25-1 mark in conference play and a perfect 19-0 record in games played at Ross Memorial Park.

"One of the things that we have been fortunate to have in a typical year is the emergence of people that may not have contributed on the field as much as they'd like to have their freshman, sophomore, and even junior years," Mountain said. "They stay at it, improve, and eventually capitalize on opportunities that come their way.  We are hopeful and optimistic the same thing happens this year."
 
PAC Preseason Poll:

1. W&J (9)	90	37-3 (25-1)
2. Grove City (1)	82	28-10 (22-5)
3. Saint Vincent	64	17-18 (13-12)
4. Franciscan	62	16-19 (15-11)
T-5. Bethany	50	16-21 (14-13)
T-5. Westminster	50	13-21 (9-17)
7. Thiel	48	14-20 (9-18)
8. Waynesburg	39	12-20 (9-17)
9. Chatham	37	12-23 (10-17)
10. Geneva	18	11-24 (6-21)

 
PAC Players to Watch: Tyler Horvat, Peter Kalinski, Henry Litman, Nate Rush, Logan Scheider

Team Captains: Jason Gregovits, Peter Kalinski, Henry Litman, Nate Rush



Position-by-Position Breakdown: W&J returns six starters to the everyday lineup as well as its top two pitchers in the starting rotation. That nucleus will be counted upon to lead the way despite losses in the middle of the batting order.
Infield- Three everyday starters from a season ago return to the Presidents' infield in 2022.

Junior Logan Scheider (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) had a breakthrough sophomore season at third base. Scheider ended the season leading W&J with his .420 (37-88) batting average in 39 games, proving how vital of a contributor he will be for the Red & Black the next two years. Scheider's performance was recognized as he was awarded with All-PAC Second Team.

"Logan is a very instinctive player," Mountain said. "He understands the game as well as anyone I've coached in my time."

Senior Nate Rush (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) is returning at shortstop. Rush was steady and reliable in 2021. He compiled a .291 batting average and earned All-PAC First Team honors.

Senior Jason Gregovits (Avon Lake, Ohio/ Avon Lake) returns as W&J's starting second baseman. Gregovits was strong defensively and hit .309 to help turn over the bottom of the lineup and set the table for run-scoring opportunities.  

The lone loss in the infield comes at first base, where Adam Moore was lost to graduation. Moore was a key contributor in the heart of the lineup last spring. Junior Sam Quinn (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) played in 23 games last season and made six starts. He figures to be in the mix at the position.  

Junior Luke Virag (New Kensington, Pa./Burrell) started 11 games for the Presidents and finished his season with a .308 batting average with 13 RBIs.

The infield group also includes returners Mason Gavlick (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill), Kyle Jones (Donegal, Pa./Mount Pleasant), and Alec Jackson (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson). Freshman Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School), Knox Meier (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep), Jacob Eiermann (Avon, Ohio/St. Ignatius), Nate Hess (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), Ryan Ross (Fredericktown, Pa./Beth-Center) and Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) join the mix in 2022 as well.

Catcher - W&J returns its two primary catchers from the Presidents' 2021 season.

Senior Peter Kalinski (Washington, D.C./Saint John's College) finished the 2021 season with a .346 batting average for the Presidents. He totaled five homeruns, ranking him second on the team for slugging. He collected three runs and drove in four runs in one game against Thiel helping him land second on the team for RBIs (40). Kalinski was selected to be a part of the All-PAC First Team.

"Pete came from a great high school program that prepared him well for college baseball," said Mountain. "Since he arrived on campus he's worked hard to become better, and has transformed his body to handle the rigors of being a catcher."
Senior Jameson Campbell (Painesville, Ohio/Painesville Riverside) is known as W&J's most versatile player. Campbell participated in 25 games, appearing in nine as a pitcher and 16 as a position player, most notably behind the plate. On the mound, Campbell struck out 16 in just 11.2 innings.

Other returners Sam Schuster (Fairport Harbor, Ohio/Fairport Harding), Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) and Beistel are in the mix at catcher.

Freshman Brody Bartenstein (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) and Meier look to contribute at the catcher position as well.

Outfield - W&J will return a great deal of depth at the outfield position in 2022.

Junior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) started in 35 games for the Red & Black and returns after collecting All-America honors and being name the 2021 PAC Newcomer of the Year. He is the returning W&J leader in slugging (.634) as he accumulated 41 hits, eight doubles, five triples, and four home runs.

"Tyler has a unique skillset," said Mountain.  "He has been a great student-athlete during his time at W&J, and we will lean on him as a two-way player again."

Junior Evan Sante (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) finished his sophomore season with 27 hits, eight doubles, and four home runs. An injury sidelined Sante for a stretch of the season but he returned for the NCAA Regionals and earned All-PAC Honorable Mention status. He will look to build off of his sophomore campaign in 2022.

Sophomore Trevor Dean (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) appeared in 27 games in his first year with the Red and Black. Dean amassed five RBIs and a pair of doubles for the Presidents.

Juniors Tony Tamilia (Coraopolis, Pa./ Moon) and Cameron Hayman (Windsor, Calif./Windsor), sophomores Roman Samson (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) and Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) and freshmen Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./ Fox Chapel), Zach Scherzer (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone), John Klein (Vienna, Va./Madison), Meier, and Zaas bolster a strong outfield unit.

Pitching – The Presidents return a number of experienced starters and relievers in 2022.

Senior Henry Litman (Marietta, Ga./Walton) returns as W&J's top pitcher for his final year. Litman was awarded PAC Pitcher of the Year, All-PAC First Team, D3baseball.com All-Mideast Region Pitcher of the Year, and ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Region First Team (Pitcher) during his junior performance.

Litman pitched a total of 72.2 innings while only allowing 17 runs. Litman did not allow more than three runs in any of the 11 games he started in 2021.  

"Henry has been preparing well and works hard at his craft," Mountain said. "His secondary pitches continue to develop.  He is another guy whose body has transformed in his time at W&J.  Henry is much more durable now than he was 3 years ago and this is a credit to his hard work."
 
Horvat was a vital member on the mound as well in the outfield. Horvat pitched a total of 70.0 innings only allowing 20 runs. He recorded a career-high strikeout of ten batters in their game against Chatham and led the team in strikeouts (71) from the 2021 season. Horvat was awarded the PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Junior Shane Fox (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area) and senior Kamden Kautz (Oro Valley, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) are some additional top returning arms for the Presidents. Fox pitched 22.1 innings for the Red & Black, never allowing more than two runs and totaling 13 strikeouts in the nine games he pitched. Kautz recorded 16 strikeouts in the 17 games he appeared in for W&J.

Mason Kolbe (Bradenton, Fla./Out-Of-Door Academy) appeared in 13 games last year and compiled a 2.51 ERA. Cameron Hayman (Windsor, Calif./Windsor) made a pair of appearances on the mound.

There will be plenty of opportunities for other returners and newcomers to make an impact on the mound this spring.

Ethan Boring (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley), Ryan Rametta (Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area), Will Frank (Davie, Fla./NSU University School), Rafe McClure (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes), McRey Socha (Independence, Ohio/St. Ignatius), Jackson Cromwell (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty), Jackson Denney (Atlanta, Ga./Mount Vernon Presbyterian), Sam Stewart (Raleigh, N.C./Pro 5 Academy), Brandon Bastian (Barto, Pa./The Hill School), Tyler Brooks (Alexandria, Va./Saint John's College), Johnny Nixon (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk), Julian Elizondo (Manassas,Va./Osbourn), Campbell, Haines, Helm, Tamilia, Virag, DiMatteo, Hess, and Shuster fortify the President pitching staff.

Newcomers: The Presidents welcome 15 freshmen to the roster for 2022.

Brody Bartenstein (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post)
Brandon Bastian (Barto, Pa./The Hill School)
Jackson Cromwell (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty)
Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel)
Jacob Eiermann (Avon, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
Nate Hess (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny)
John Klein (Vienna, Va./Madison)
Jacob LaDuce (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius)
Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes)
Rafe McClure (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington)
Knox Meier (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep)
Ryan Ross (Fredericktown, Pa./Beth-Center)
Zach Scherzer (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone)
Mcrey Socha (Independence, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School)

"Coach Crummer, Coach Rush, and Coach Bubash did a great job bringing this group to W&J," Mountain said. "Our depth is improved, and I believe our overall talent is as well.  It's difficult being a freshman in college anywhere, let alone a freshman student-athlete so these guys will need time, which is typically the case. It is a class to be optimistic about."

Looking at the Schedule: W&J is scheduled to a play a 40-game schedule.

W&J will face Mount Union (Feb. 20), Case Western Reserve (Feb. 26), Muskingum (Mar. 2), La Roche (Mar. 4), and Marietta (Mar. 16) in non-conference play.

The Presidents will then travel to Winter Haven, Fla. For the RussMatt Invitational during spring break (March 18-23) before conference play begins.

W&J will play three game series, made up of one doubleheader and one single game with the other nine PAC institutions. The school that does not host the doubleheader will host the single game.

The postseason includes the top four teams qualifying for the PAC Tournament at the top overall seed. The 2022 PAC Tournament is scheduled to begin May 11.

As of now, the NCAA has the Division III World Series scheduled for June 3-June 8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Last Word: "Our non-league schedule is going to be very challenging, as usual. Not only are we playing several regional powers locally, we will be facing a difficult Florida schedule and will face teams best pitching in all likelihood with how the schedule lines up," Mountain said. "We are excited to be playing non-league programs again."

"Once again, we will be one of the youngest teams in the league. There are a number of programs with multiple fifth year seniors," Mountain said. "We don't and won't have any of that. Adam Morris is playing at Radford this year and we hope to have some seniors this year that get an opportunity to continue their careers at the Division 1 and Division 2 levels."

"Our guys have earned their reps based on their performance during the fall season and development to this point," Mountain said. "That being said, there are a lot of people we want to take a look at and only so many innings in the early part of our season.  Intrasquad scrimmages and player development will continue to be pivotal in determining where everyone fits in. We are thrilled to be playing JV games again also. They have been vital in getting people experience and giving opportunities."
"We did not face a ton of adversity during the regular season last year," said Mountain. "This year, there is no doubt we will face it. How we deal with it, and the ups and downs that are typical of a baseball season will determine a lot."